They say money doesn’t grow on trees.  But it certainly appears to do so on the mysterious coin-studded  trunks around the UK’s woodland.  The strange phenomenon of old trees with coins embedded(鑲嵌) all over their bark has been spotted on trails from the Peak District to the Scottish Highlands.

The coins are usually knocked into the trunks of the trees which were cut down using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.

These fascinating spots often have coins from centuries ago buried deep in their bark. The tradition of making offerings to spirits of trees dates back hundreds of years, but this combination of the man-made and the natural is far more rare. 

It used to be believed that spirits lived in trees, and they were often decorated with sweets and gifts—as is still done today at Christmas. The act reminds us of tossing money into ponds for good luck, or the trend for couples to attach “l(fā)ove padlocks” to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romance.

There are seven tree trunks with coins pushed into them in the unique village of Portmeirion, in Wales.

Meurig Jones, a manager at the tourist destination, told the BBC: “We had no idea why it was being done when we first noticed the tree trunk was being filled with coins. ” He also said: “I did some detective work and discovered that trees were sometimes used as ‘wishing trees’. In Britain it dates back to the 1700s—there is one tree in Scotland somewhere which apparently has a coin stuck into it. ”

He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and his illness would go away. “If someone then takes the coin out though, it’s said they then become ill. We haven’t announced it at all, it’s just happened, ”he added. “It’s quite amazing really. ”

56. What is the best title of the passage?

A. How to get good luck in Britain?

B. A fantastic way to recover from disease

C. Who says money doesn’t grow on trees?

D. Can the tree really bring you good luck?

57. The passers-by knocked coins into the trunks of the trees_______.

A. to get more money back

B. to ensure the trees are theirs

C. to attract the spirits of the trees

D. to pray for good luck

58. Which method of blessing is not mentioned in the passage?

A. decorating fences with sweets

B. pressing a coin into a tree

C. throwing money into ponds

D. attaching “l(fā)ove padlocks”

59. When did pressing coins into tree trunks begin?

A. about two hundred years ago

B. about three hundred years ago

C. about four hundred years ago

D. about five hundred years ago

60. From this passage we can learn_______.

A. seeing trees with coins in them is quite common in the UK

B. Jones understood why there were coins on trees from the start

C. Jones believes the wishing trees can bring people’s illness away

D. if someone takes the coin out,  he can get good luck soon

56.【解析】選C。主旨大意題。根據(jù)文章大意,尤其是第一段的介紹可知本文主要是說在英國樹林里長著神秘的嵌滿硬幣的“搖錢樹”,而且C選項既與文章主題有關又非常有新意。

57.【解析】選D。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章第二段最后一句可知路人把硬幣鑲嵌其中是為了獲取好的運氣。

58.【解析】選A。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章第四段The act reminds us of tossing money into ponds for good luck,  or the trend for couples to attach “l(fā)ove padlocks” to bridges and fences to symbolize lasting romance. 可知除了前文提到的把硬幣鑲嵌在樹上,還有把錢扔進池塘或在橋上或柵欄上掛“愛情鎖”等祈福方式,惟獨沒提到A項內(nèi)容。

59.【解析】選B。細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第二段In Britain it dates back to the 1700s. . . 可知此項活動可以追溯到十八世紀,距今約三百年,故選B。

60.【解析】選C。推理判斷題。根據(jù)文章最后一段He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and his illness would go away. 可知Jones相信這種傳說,故選C。

【文章大意】本文介紹的是一個有趣的減肥故事。

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I was tired and hungry after a long day of work. When I walked into the living-room, my 12-year-old son looked up at me and said, “I   41   you.” I did not    42   what to say, and I just stood there, looking  43   at him. My first    44    was that he    45   need help with his homework. Then I asked, “What was that all      46   ?”

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